End closure for knitted metallic mesh scouring devices



May 15, 1951 A; 2,553,051

- B. KINGMAN END CLOSURE FOR KNITTED ME LLIC MESH SCOURING DEV Filed Nov. 2, 194

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ENDCLOSURE FOR KNITTED METALLIC MESH SCOURING DEVICES Barclay A. Kingman, Orange, N. J., assignorjzo Metal Textile Corporation, West Orange, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application November 2, 1945, SerialNo. 626,306

1 Claim.

ternal cover of a scouring device, a novel hollow rivet type eyelet for securing such gathered open end in closed condition; said eyelet comprising a tubular shank arranged to extend through the gathered end closing folds of said cover, said shank having a flanged head at one end to exteriorly abut said folds, and the opposite end of said shank being split to provide a plurality of radial claws adapted to engage through the cover fabric and around strands thereof so as to embrace and strongly. grip the latter, whereby to interlock with the fabric folds so as to securely retain the same against separation, raveling or escape, and thus so as'to hold the cover fabric in secure enclosing relation to the internal body of the device.

The invention has for another object to provide a hollow rivet type fastening eyelet for the purposes stated, the free end of the tubular shank of which is split and formed to provide a plurality of radial, curled inner gripping fingers to engage around and firmly hold strands of knitted metallic mesh cover material which closely surround said shank, and a plurality of radial curved claws alternated with said fingers, said claws being adapted to penetrate the fold plies of the mesh cover material outwardly of said shank, so as to embrace and firmly hold the same against relative displacement and separation.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational View of a knitted metallic mesh scouring body of ball-like form having a cover section, an open end of which is closed by an assembly of gathered folds, said folds being secured by tubular rivet type eyelet having the novel structure and assembled relation to said folds according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the tools for forming and applying the novel eyelet to the gathered cover folds of the device (said folds being schematically illustrated), and with the tools and eyelet positioned preparatoryto the forming and applying operation; Fig.3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line.3.3 inFig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the completion of the eyelet forming and applying operation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing a somewhat modified construction of eyelet forming and applying die; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional .viewsimilar to that, of Fig.

4, but showing the completion of the eyelet forming and applying operation utilizing the modified form of die shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. '7 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the modified form of eyeletas produced and applied by the die of Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

The scouring device to which this invention relates is made from a tubular knit metallic fabric, preferably knitted from ribbon-like or flat wire of a selected metal, such as-copper, steel or other ferrous metal, Monel, or other metal.

In one and-a preferred form thereof, the scour ing device comprises-a resilient body of substantially ball-like shape. The body, in one embodiment thereof, is made from a length of tubular knit metallic mesh twisted or otherwise gathered and secured at a point intermediate its ends to provide two sections, one section being suitably rolled or folded upon itself, or otherwise balled, to provide an internal mass or core, and the other section being turned over and externally about said internal mass or core to form a cover section it). To complete the closure of said cover section its open end is gathered together into a folded formation I I, the plies of the folds of which are superposed in contiguous relation. A scouring device of this general kind and type is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,683,357. A similar type of scouring device is also disclosed in ;U. S. Patent 1,689,207, wherein the internal mass or core comprises metallic material separate from the cover section, said cover section being made of tubular knit metallic mesh within which said internal mass or core is enclosed, after which the outer ends of the cover section are gathered together and secured in closed condition.

To secure a gathered and folded end formation ll of the cover-section ill of the securing device in permanently closed condition, so as'to be held firmly against accidental separation,

raveling, or opening displacement, a hollow rivet type of eyelet is employed, the same initially comprising a tubular shank [2 having at one end a lateralannular head flange l3 (see Fig. 2) In the forming and application of said eyelet t1 the gathered and folded cover end closure formation ll, said shank is split by suitable tools to form, at the side of the eyelet opposite to said head flange l3, a plurality of mesh penetrating and gripping elements.

Tools for so forming and applying a fastening eyelet, in one form thereof as shown in Figs. 2

to 4 inclusive, comprise a forming die It, and a driving stamp or plunger IE to cooperate with said die. Said forming die 14 is provided with an axially extending, upstanding, tapered spindle member 15. Formed in the top face of said die [4, around the base of its spindle member is are a pluralty of cutter members 11 which extend across and subdivide an annular cavity li, of concave cross-sectional shape, into intermediate bending sectors IS. Said cutter members IT are of appreciable width at their top surfaces, and said top surfaces are longitudinally concave or curvilinear in plane. The side edges '20 of said cutter members function as cutting edgesyas will hereinafter appear.

In the use of the tools, the gathered and folded cover end closure formation H of the scouring device, is pressed down over the spindle member 16 of the forming die I4 'so as to be pierced thereby, and the tubular shank 12 of the eyelet, with its head flange uppermost, is then passed downwardly over said spindle member IE, and

so as to'also pass through the opening of said cover end closure formation II which is pierced therein by said spindle member (see Fig. 2). The assembled work and eyelet being thus initially related to said forming die M, the stamp or plunger is suitably caused to forcefully descend, so as to move the free end of the eyelet shank l2 toward the top face of said die M, and into engagement with the cutter members IT. The cutting edges 23 of said cutter members will cut through the walls of said eyelet shank i2, whereby to longitudinally split and divide the same into radial fingers 2l of a width corresponding to the width of the top surfaces of the cutter members, while at the same time forming from said walls, in alternated relation to said fingers, radial claws 22. As the fingers 2| are thus formed, the extremities thereof will slide on the curved top faces of the cutter members I? so as to be upwardly and inwardly deflected and curled in such manner as to penetrate and engage around the strands of the knitted metallic mesh cover material which border the opening pierced in said material bythe die spindle member IS, which strands closely crowd around the latter (see Fig. 4). At the same time, the claws 22, which are produced intermediate said fingers 2!, will pass into the bending sectors 19 0f the forming die l4, so that the extremities of said claws are engaged by the curved bottom surfaces of said bending sectors l9, whereby th claws are deflected and turned upwardly to penetrate the fold plies of the mesh material outlying from the borders of the opening pierced therein by the die spindle member I 5, and in such manner that the claw extremities are directed toward and opposed to the inner or underside of the eyelet head flange 13 (see Fig. 4). In this manner, the claws are caused to embrace a substantial amount of the metallic mesh material, and thus to securely retain the plies of the cover end closure formation II against accidental separation, raveling or opening displacement, and consequently so as to assure, throughout the useful life of the scouring device, the integrity of the envelopment of the cover section relative to the internal mass or core of said device. The combination of the inner fingers 2| and outer claws 22 provides an exceedingly strong interlock of the fastening eyelet with the metallic mesh material, particularly when said material is of comparatively large mesh or knit loop size.

For some types of knitted metallic mesh scouring devices, and especially when made of knitted mesh of comparatively small mesh or knit loop size, the provision of the inner gripping fingers 2| of the eyelet formation may be dispensed with, and only the claws 22 utilized. To attain such modified formation of the fastening eyelet requires but simple modification of the forming die M. A forming die modified to such end is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the top face of the die is formed to provide a plurality of cutter members ll radial to the base of the spindle member 16 and extending across the cavity 18. Said cutter members [1' terminate at their tops in sharp knife-like edges, which, when engaged by the walls of the tubular shank I2 of the eyelet, part the same so as to form radial claws 22 without at the same time forming the fingers 2| previously described (see Figs. 6 and 7). The claws 22 thus formed will pass into the bending sectors [9 of the die to engage the curved bottom surfaces thereof, whereby to be deflected and turned upwardly so as to penetrate the fold plies of the mesh material of the cover end closure formation II, and so as to interlock therewith with holding effect substantially in the manner already described.

The novel cover end closure fastening for scouring devices as above described in not only of great gripping and holding power, but also, by reason of the perforate form of the eyelet which provides such fastening, affords a convenient means whereby the securing device, when not in use, may be hung up to drain and dry until further use thereof is desired.

It may also be pointed out that in addition to its primary function of fastening the cover end closure formation of a scouring device against accidental opening displacement, the novel eyelet means may also be utilized for attachment to the scouring device, in aid of commercial distribution and identification thereof, of a paper label. An end of such label may be disposed between the eyelet head flange l3 and the underlying cover end closure formation I I, so as to be engaged and secured therebetween. A label so attached may be easily and quickly torn away by the consumer, without risk of disturbance of the operative relation of the fastening eyelet to the scouring device.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

Means for fastening a cover end closure formation of a scouring device formed from tubular knit metallic mesh comprising a fastener eyelet for securing said end closure formation against displacement, said eyelet having an annular head flange to abut said formation and a tubular shank to extend through the formation, the free end portion of said shank being split longitudinally to provide a plurality of radial iii-curled fingers or claws comprising an outer series of major length and radius and an inner series of minor length and radius, said outer and inner fingers and claws being disposed 2,553,051 5 6 in alternated relation, the outer fingers or claws REFERENCES CITED being arranged with their extremities abutting The following references are of record in the the head flange at points outwardly spaced from file of this patent: the shank, whereby to penetrate the mesh so as to embrace a maximum amount thereof, and the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS inner fingers or claws being arranged with their Number Name Date extremities abutting the shank at the juncture 214,031 Edmands Apr. 8, 1879 thereof with the head flange, whereby to also 775,728 Miller Nov. 22, 1904 penetrate the mesh but so as to embrace and 1,682,117 Field Aug. 28, 1928 tightly clamp mesh strands confined thereby 1e 1,683,357 Kingman Sept. 4, 1928 closely adjacent to the shank. 2,107,375 Gookin Feb. 8, 1938 BARCLAY A. KINGMAN. 2,128,640 Fenton Aug. 30, 1938 2,156,940 Graham May 2, 1939 2,170,708 Cordeiro Aug. 22, 1939 

